Rapunzel's Secret
by singinstrawberri
Summary: This is a one chapter short story of how Rapunzel was when she was 10, before her prince came and saved her.


Rapunzel

The snow fell slowly and silently, gently as feathers in a small breeze. It was cold, not bitter cold, not freezing. The air was cold, sharp and chilly. When you breathed in, the air was fresh and good. Simply good. It smelled, or at least felt like winter.

An unusually strong gust of wind blew open a window and made the faded curtains flutter. It seemed quite high up when you were up there in that room. It was only about 2 or 3 stories tall, but when you were up there, you felt more isolated from the world than anywhere else.

The girl in that room rolled over in her bed slowly, blinking. It had been one of those nights when she couldn't fall asleep for a long, long time. She felt a chill run up and down her spine. It was early. She found it pointless to get up, but she did anyway.

Her name was Rapunzel, and she was just 10 years old this winter day. Her prince wasn't to come for another couple years, and she had to be patient for much longer. To her, there wasn't really such thing as time when you repeated almost everything everyday. 

She hadn't given a real, true, happy smile in so long. She couldn't even remember the last time she did. She felt like she had forgotten. Her face felt stiff.

Locked up in her tower, she had no company. The only people she had ever seen were her mother, her father, her present guardian, and any passing people in the distance. Her guardian had taken her from her family so long ago, she could not remember what they looked like. She wasn't sure if she could call her present guardian a mother. What kind of mother would imprison her daughter? Although Miriam, her guardian, took care of her everyday and loved her, Rapunzel could not help but feel resentment toward her. Because of her, she couldn't live a normal life. Because of her, happiness was more like a dream.

Rapunzel stared out her window. That was the most exciting activity to do at her tower. And it wasn't really that exciting. It was very nice being so close to nature, sure, and everyday something changed. But she could not talk, not verbally at least, with nature. Birds and leaves couldn't talk to her. They could only listen.

Today, trees were bare of leaves. The castle, built on ground lower than the tower, was far away. The sun seemed to rise behind it. Except you could not really see the sun rise today, because of all the clouds. The snow was beautiful, with its smooth yet lumpy texture, white and wet and glistening. She wished she could touch some, but the trees overhead blocked the fall of snow, so snow did not fall near enough her small window for her to touch. She had never felt snow. She had never felt grass, or the moist soil during the dewy mornings, or petted a cat or a dog, or went swimming. She had done little during her life. She wondered what was the purpose of her life. She had done very little. She would probably die soon, even.

Familiar footsteps were heard on the soft, dirt ground around the tower. Too familiar, too slow, too heavy. The old, wise, wrinkly woman took out her hidden key from behind a brick in the wall. She opened the door, and closed it tightly behind her. She huffed as she climbed the stairs, up slowly until she was in Rapunzel's room. She never really climbed Rapunzel's hair. That would be way too painful. 

It was true, however, that she had long, long, long hair. It was a couple feet long, and it was a reddish-brown, unlike the sunshine gold of those princesses in fairy tales. It was beautiful, glossy as water reflecting the sun, and looked as soft as flower petals. Miriam had a special conditioner that was kept a secret for her hair. She refused to let Rapunzel cut her hair, the reasons unknown.

Miriam hobbled to Rapunzel and kissed her cheek. "Hello, my dear child," she croaked. Rapunzel hated her voice. She sighed and let go of her feelings, feeling numb instead. She didn't care anymore.

They ate the food Miriam had brought. She unbraided Rapunzel's hair afterwards, combing it, and re-braided it.

Rapunzel sat more silent than usual. Miriam wondered, _Where has my sweet little girl gone? She used to be so full of life, so energetic. She seems dead. What is different?_

After finishing with her hair, Miriam left early, saying that she had to go to town. 

Before she went down the stairs, Rapunzel cried out, "Wait! Can I go with you?"

The woman turned, shocked, to look at her. "Of course not! How could you think of such a thing?" Her gnarled cane dropped to the floor. It didn't really help her walk. Rapunzel did not know this. The old woman didn't really even have to hobble when she walked. Miriam was immortal, but Rapunzel could never know. What people would say if they knew Miriam was an immortal witch! 

Rapunzel stood her ground. "But why not? You're getting old. You could get hurt."

"You can never step outside this tower. You don't know what dangers are out there. You could get lost, kidnapped, hurt, and you wouldn't be mine anymore." The woman started to go, but Rapunzel rushed past her, and raced down the stairs as fast as she could before Miriam could stop her. She tugged at the doorknob, tried to turn it, but the door would not open. Miriam caught up to her and ordered Rapunzel back to her room. After she was out of sight, Miriam tapped her cane against the door. It swung open. She had only used the key to get in when Rapunzel saw her. Shutting the door, the old woman left.

Rapunzel sat on the stone steps, sighing. She tried the door several times again, but only in vain. She tried to ram it open, but it was pointless. At last, she sat on the steps again. She felt too lazy, not doing anything. She started running up and down the steps, faster and faster. She felt better, being able to exercise at least.

She went back to her room, closing the trap door on the floor after she went in. She went to the window. Then, getting an idea, she took a trunk out from under her bed. Opening it, she found a telescope at the bottom. Excited, she rushed to the window and used to look at the castle up close. She was delighted. She could see so many people, so many new things!

After an hour, she put the telescope down and thought for a while. She went back to the trunk and took out a long, long rope, thick and strong. She tied it on a hook on the window. Taking a deep breath, she climbed over the ledge, holding on the rope so tightly, her knuckles turned white. She slowly climbed down, once almost losing grasp of the rope. She made it down!! She jumped for joy. She bent down and touched the snow, letting it melt in her cupped hands. Then her insides turned icy cold. She couldn't just leave. Miriam would be so upset!! She would find her, and make sure she never got out of the tower. It would be better just to take a visit outside of the tower once in a while. She felt there was no other way. Somehow, she knew that if she escaped, she would be sought out. 

She sighed, and then lifted her head to the sky. Everything was different. Then she heard the church bells ring in the distance. Once, twice, until it rang 12 times. She gasped. Miriam would be back soon! She scrambled up the rope and stuffed it back in the trunk. She did the same to the telescope. 

2 hours later, Miriam had left again. Rapunzel stretched happily. She felt excited but too tired to climb down the rope again. She could wait until tomorrow, anyways.

She went to her window for the thousandth time. She inhaled and exhaled the sweet, fresh air. She felt free. Free to explore, free to do whatever she wanted. It was a wonderful feeling. It was new to her, a discovery. She felt happier than she had for a long, long time. She opened her mouth and sang the only song she knew, one Miriam had taught her long ago. Her voice flowed out clearly and sweetly. 

After she stopped, she felt even lighter. She was so, so happy. Ecstatic. Not just happy, but free!

"Free," she whispered, tasting the word. She smiled. 


End file.
